Adapting and Writing Language Lessons/Appendix K

by Earl W. Stevick

APPENDIX K TO CHAPTER

UNSEQUENCED PRESENTATION OF STRUCTURES

(SWAHILI)

Freedom is not following a river.
Freedom is following a river,
though, if you want to.
It is deciding now by what happens now.
It is knowing that luck makes a difference.

William Stafford

Freedom for a language teacher may mean not following someone else's structural sequence, or following it. Of the materials which a writer can place at the disposal of a teacher, the Learner's Synopsis (Chapter 4, p. 144; and Chapter 5) should flow as smoothly as possible from the beginning to end. The subject of this appendix, however, is the presentation of structural points not as continuity but as chunks, so that they are maximally independent of each other in two ways: in their wording, and in their physical existence on paper or cardboard.

The material which follows illustrates the second point made in"the directions for writing an adaptable Sarkhanese course (Chapter 4, p.144ff). It is based on cards numbered 1, 2, 3 and 5 in a series of 62 5"×8" cards. This series has been used for two years, by four different instructors, in presenting the rudiments of Swahili grammar to beginning students. To emphasize mutual independence, however, the cards are given here in an order different from the one in which they have been used in the past. As in Chapter 4, p. 145, the suggestions for presentation are placed before the explanation, but the cards need not be used in that order. (The students with whom these cards have been used have in fact not seen the explanations in this form at all.)

Concord: singular 'near me' demonstratives

Have available in the classroom a number of objects, at least one from each of the following classes:

M-WA
M-MI
LI-MA
KI-VI

N

Pick up or touch one item at a time, and say Hiki ni kiti, or whatever the object is. Have the students do the same. Be sure that they touch the item they are talking about, so as to preserve the difference between hiki and hicho or kile. Then begin to use the question Hii ni nini? or, if you prefer, Hiki ni kitu qani? When the students can reply to this question, let them question and answer each other. Answer their questions about names of objects that you have not yet talked about. Finally, fall silent and let them use this new material in their own way.

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If a demonstrative word (this, that, these, those) accompanies or refers to a noun, its form depends on the noun. This can be seen in the 'near me' demonstratives for singular nouns:

meza	hii	'this table'
table	this
mlango	huu	'this door'
door	this
kitu	hiki	'this thing'
thing	this
mtu	huyu	'this person'
person	this
dirisha	hili	'this window'
window	this}}

See Synopsis, par. 18 .)

Concord: plural 'near mer demonstratives.

Have available a number of objects, two or more of each kind, to represent each of the following classes:

M-WA
M-MI
LI-MA
KI-VI

N

Pick up or touch one pair of items at a time, and say Hivi ni viti or whatever the objects are.Have the students do the same. Be sure that they touch the items they are talking about, so as to preserve the difference between hivi and hivyo, vile. Then begin to use the question Hivi ni vitu gani? When the students can reply to this question, let them question and answer each other. Answer their questions about names of objects that you have not yet talked about. Finally, fall silent and let them use this new material and/or earlier material in their own way.

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If a demonstrative word (this, that, these, those) accompanies or refers to a noun, its form depends on the noun. This can be seen in the 'near' demonstratives for plural nouns:

meza	hizi	'these tables'
tables	these
milaugo	hii	'these doors'
doors	these
vitu	hivi	'these things'
things	these
watu	hawa	'these people'
people	these
madirisha	haya	'these windows'
windows	these

(See Synopsis, par.18 .}

Concord: Singular 'near' your demonstratives.

Have available a number of movable objects, at least one from each of the following classes:

M-WA
M-MI
LI-MA
KI-VI

N

Put one object near a student, move away, and say Hiyo ni kalamu, or whatever the object is. Then take the object away from him, and have him say the same thing to you. Then hold the object and ask Hiki ni kitu gani? Have him reply Hicho ni kitabu, or whatever the object is. Be sure that there is agreement between the location of the object and the use of hii, hiki, hili or hiyo, hicho, hilo. Let the students use these questions among themselves, and in getting new vocabulary from you. Do not require them to remember the new words that they get from you in this way.

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If a demonstrative word (this, that, these, those) accompanies or refers to a noun, its form depends on the noun. This can be seen in the 'near you, or otherwise already identified' demonstratives for singular nouns:

meza	hiyo	'that table near you, or already mentioned'
table	that
mtu	hyuo	'that person'
person	that
dirisha	hilo	'that window'
window	that
mlango	huo	'that door'
door	that
kitu	hicho	'that thing'
thing	that

(See Synopsis, par. 18 .)

Concord:Subject prefixes

Have available a number of small, movable objects, at least one from each of the following classes:

M-WA
M-MI
LI-MA
KI-VI

N

Using appropriate actions, substitute each in the sentence:

Kalamu	iko}	mezani.
pen	is-located	on-table

Have the students do the same until this becomes easy for them. Then teach them a few place expressions to replace mazani

Finally, teach the question Kalamu iko wapi? and let them use it.

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When a noun is the subject of a locative word 'am is, or are located,' the subject prefix of the locative word depends on the choice of noun:

Meza	iko	wapi?	Where is the table?
Table	is-located	where?
Meza	ziko	wapi?	Where are the tables?
Kitu	kiko	wapi?	Where is the thing?
Vitu	viko	wapi?	Where are the things?
Mtu	yuko	wapi?	Where is the person?
Watu	wako	wapi?	Where are the people?
Dirisha	liko	wapi?	Where is the window?
Madirisha	yako	wapi?	Where are the windows?
Mlango	uko	wapi?	Where is the door?
Milango	iko	wapi?	Where are the doors?

(See Synopsis, par. 23, 62)